When I Need You Most
by mossysnakes
Summary: When Carey dies in a car accident, Zack & Cody are forced to live with their now totally messed up father. What then? Full summary inside...


_**Author's Note: K...um...yeah. heres a story i ges. um...first real SLoZaC fic, so be nice 2 me. um, suddenly it comes 2 my attention that the twins' father is like in a band or something...well...not in this story! cuzI already typed sum stuffdown & its 2 late 2 change the plot...anywho, on with thestory!**_

**Rating: R 4 romance, violence, child abuse**

**Pairings: Cody/Maddie, maybe some Zack/Maxx**

**Warning: Character death**

**Full Summary: When Carey dies in a car accident, Zack & Cody are forced to live with their now totally messed up father. After a few horrific events, Maddie helps them by taking them into her own home. What will happen to the twins, what will their father do and what about the boys' feelings?**

Two boys who looked about 15 ran into the Tipton Hotel, their clothes soaked with water. Mr. Moseby, the hotel manager, looked up from his work and sighed. "Zack, Cody how on earth did you get so wet?"

Thunder rumbled outside and Zack replied, "Does that answer your question?"

"Just try not to make the hotel a living mold house." The twins looked at each other and continued walking. They approached an 18 year old girl who was standing behind a counter.

"Oh, hey you two," she greeted.

"Hey Maddie," Cody said cheerfully.

"Hey, sweet thang," Zack said, placing one arm on the counter and the other on his hip.

Maddie ignored him and said, "So, what'll it be today?"

"I'll have some Skittles," Zack stated.

"K, what about you Cody?"

"Actually, I think I'll pass."

Maddie looked at him curiously and said, "Um...okay." She turned to Zack and gave him a bag of Skittles, which he payed for.

"Come on Cody, time for you to do our homework." Cody sighed.

"Zack, can't you do you're homework this one time? I have a lot of work to do, including my history report which is due tomorrow."

"Eh, it can wait." Zack walked to the elevator and Cody followed. Maddie shook her head and took out a book she had to read for her english class.

Zack opened the door to their suite and the twins stepped inside. Zack fell on the couch and turned on the TV, while Cody sat down at the breakfast table and opened his backpack. He took out his homework and a pencil, and started scribbling answers hurreidly. An hour went by and he quickly but neatly put the papers back into his backpack and picked it up, running to he and Zack's room. He put the backpack by his bed and took out a laptop from under it. He sat on the bed and started typing his history report. After a while Zack walked into the room. He stared at his younger brother for a while, before walking up to him and closing the laptop. "Zack! What did you do that for? Now I'll have to type it all over again!"

"Oh, sorry. Just wanted to tell you that you might wanna start on my homework. It's almost 6:00." Cody looked up to him.

"And what if I don't want to?"

"You'll do it," Zack said, grabbing the laptop, "if you know what's good for you."

"Whatever, Zack. Just gimme back my notebook, I have to get this report done soon. You can do you're homework."

"Can, but won't, 'cuz sadly, you're going to be doing it." Cody stood up and grabbed the laptop.

"No, I won't." Zack grabbed it back.

"Yes, you will." Cody grabbed it again.

"No, I won't."

"Yes you will."

"No."

"Yes."

"No!"

"Yes!"

"No!"

_"Do it now!" _Zack slapped his brother across the face and Cody fell backwards. Zack threw his backpack onto his bed and stomped out of the room, slamming the door behind him. Cody sat up and rubbed his cheek, staring at the door in shock. He felt a ping of sadness and walked to the door with the laptop, opening it to a crack. Zack was sitting on the couch, watching TV again. He slowly, quietly walked past him, opening the door to their suite and continuing his escape. He looked back and closed the door silently. He walked down the hallway and to the elevators, pressing the "down" arrow. After a minute the doors opened and he pressed the button for the first floor. He sighed as the doors closed again and he started to go down.

Cody sat in the lobby, typing away. Maddie watched his fingers glide across the keys from her place at the candy counter. Her eyes wandered up and landed on his face, and she realised he had a red mark on his cheek. His eyes were slightly drooped and his brow was creased, and that was not like Cody. She wondered what could've happened, and after a while she noticed he had turned to look at her. She adverted her gaze and out of the dorner of her eye, she could see him slowly go back to typing, the small bit of happiness in his eyes gone. She sighed and walked over to him, sitting beside him on the couch. He looked at her and she spoke. "Hey, Cody. What's wrong? You look kinda blue." He smiled slightly and spoke.

"Oh, it's nothing. Zack and I just got into a little fight. Nothing to worry about."

"Cody, you're cheek is red. That's something to worry about. Tell me what happened, you know you can trust me." Cody sighed and saved his file, closed the laptop and slumped back onto the couch.

"I wouldn't do Zack's homework, so he slapped me. Then while he was watching TV I snuck out of the suite and came down here to write my history report."

"Oh...well, it's time he learned he should be doing his own homework. I'm glad you stood up to him, Cody. He needs to learn a lesson."

"Thanks, Maddie," Cody smiled. She smiled back.

"Well, I gotta get back to work, even if no one ever buys anything at the counter anyway."

**Alright, super-short first chappie, but...i couldnt think of anything...so...yeah. sorry if this is 2 fast paced or sumthin, just lemme know if i could fix anything. & if u sumhow want this TBC, review and say so! k, cya.**


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